


Baby Trust Me

by ZDcookie_996



Series: Paddock Baby [21]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Apologetic Jos, Established Relationship, F/M, Jos sees Ellie for the first time, M/M, Post Italy 2020, Victoria and Tom babysit, pregnant victoria, protective lando, worried max
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27108211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZDcookie_996/pseuds/ZDcookie_996
Summary: Jos sees his granddaughter for the first time but Lando and Max don't exactly trust him.
Relationships: Lando Norris/Max Verstappen, Max Verstappen & Victoria Verstappen, Victoria Verstappen/Tom Heuts
Series: Paddock Baby [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538881
Kudos: 44





	Baby Trust Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Here is another story for the paddock baby series! This is a Lando/Max who have 6 month old Ellie staying with Victoria and Tom over the course of the triple header in Spa and Italy. I have written this story where covid exists, obviously I don't live in Monaco so I'm not entirely aware of all the restrictions so I've just written this as I've went along. In this story, Jos has never met Ellie. As it will be explained, he doesn't approve of his son's relationship with Lando and he believes a child will distract him from the championship. He has not had anything to do with Lando, Max or Ellie even though Max has given him chances and it's only when he meets Ellie that he falls in love with her. I thought I would write a story containing Jos with a hopeful ending as most of my stories with Jos have him as an evil person but I'm sure in real life he is really nice so I chose to write a different Jos that I'm used to. Hope you all enjoy and please leave any prompts in the comments!

Max couldn’t wait to get home after such a disaster of a race. He was happy for Lando getting points and for Alex getting his first podium but that was his second DNF in a row and only one podium prior to that. He was also having to fly back to Monaco on his own as Lando was staying in the paddock to help his guys pack everything away. It was nice to see that Lando got on with his team so well that he wanted to help them but then again McLaren were doing well this season. As he sat in the plane, he decided to put his headphones on so that the time would hopefully pass quicker. He couldn’t wait to get home to Ellie. It had been difficult leaving for Australia so soon after she had been born to have to fly back almost immediately. His daughter was now 6 months old and Max had a bet with Lando about when their daughter was going to start crawling. She could barely keep still at times and Max was sure that she would start crawling sooner rather than later. Max’s sister, Victoria, and her boyfriend, Tom, were currently looking after Ellie. As Victoria was pregnant, they wanted to get some practice in because they had never had her overnight, they had only looked after her during the day. Max’s friends had looked after Ellie for a few days before she went to stay with Victoria and Tom purely because Max and Lando were away for three straight races in a row. It wouldn’t have been fair for them to look after Ellie for the whole two weeks. Max and Lando facetimed Victoria when they could and they found that she was no longer nervous about looking after her niece. She had been to begin with because she had never really looked after a baby overnight but she and Tom had asked her brother if they could look after Ellie because they wanted the practice. As Max listened to his music, he went through his phone that held pictures his sister had sent him of Ellie. He smiled as he closed his eyes, resting his head back as he thought about the reunion with his baby. 

When Max landed, he got a ride to Monaco. He went straight to VIctoria and Tom’s apartment as they had taken Ellie there rather than stay in Max’s apartment. Max didn’t mind, whilst Ellie liked being in an environment she knew well, she had been to Victoria’s apartment plenty of times. He also wanted his sister to be comfortable in her own home as she was now 6 months pregnant. As the car pulled up outside his sister’s house, Max grabbed his luggage and backpack, happy to see Tom waiting at the door. He had messaged his sister to let her know when he was on the plane and when he got in even though he had insisted that he could go back to his apartment himself then pick up Ellie in the morning but Victoria wanted him to stay. Tom came closer and grabbed Max’s suitcase before pulling him into a one armed hug.

“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Asked Tom.

Max sighed.

“I’m glad that round is over.” He admitted.

Tom let out a little chuckle as he led Max into the apartment. It was late at night and Max was sure that both Ellie and Victoria were in bed, not that he minded, he could see them in the morning. He followed Tom who took him to their guest room as they quietly put everything on the floor.

“I hope you don’t mind but Ellie is sleeping in our room. Victoria wanted someone to try the crib we have and she seems comfortable so we didn’t really want to move it.” Whispered Tom.

Max nodded. If Ellie was comfortable, he wasn’t going to disturb her.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Max murmured.

Tom smiled.

“Good night.” 

Tom left the room and Max was able to finally get changed and he went to use the bathroom before slumping onto the bed and falling into a deep sleep. 

The next morning, Ellie woke up Victoria and Tom which reminded them that they would have to get used to this when their baby eventually arrived. Max had already warned them that occasionally Ellie would wake up really early in the morning and other times she would sleep in until around 7 in the morning. Tom immediately got up and checked her nappy before he went to grab clothes and got her changed. Victoria got up slowly, mindful of her bump and headed to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. Whilst Ellie had only been with Victoria and Tom for a few days, they had been getting into a routine of Tom dressing her in the morning as Victoria would prepare her morning bottle then make a start on the drinks. They would sit at the table drinking either tea or coffee in Tom’s case and fresh juice for Victoria as Tom would give Ellie her bottle. Max had a high chair in his apartment but his sister and Tom didn’t have one so they just held the baby on their lap as she ate. Tom would usually prepare breakfast for himself and his girlfriend whilst Victoria would read to Ellie. They would play with Ellie after breakfast, taking it in turns to get changed. 

On that particular morning, the couple had agreed to let Max sleep, knowing that Lando would be returning home later that morning and there was no rush as no one was doing anything. Tom was just getting changed to go out for a run and had left Ellie on her tummy on her play ma in the living room. The doorbell rang and Victoria frowned as she went to answer it. She smiled when she saw it was her dad.

“Good morning, princess.” He gushed.

Victoria laughed as he moved forward to kiss her gently on the cheek.

“How are you this morning? Can I take you out for breakfast?” He asked.

The smile fell from his daughter’s face.

“Tom and I have already eaten.” She said, sadly.

Jos shrugged and stepped past her to walk into the apartment. 

“How’s Tom?” Asked Jos.

Victoria was speechless. She hadn’t told her dad that she was babysitting Ellie and she hadn’t posted anything on social media so he had no idea that there was a baby in the house. Max was still in bed and his sister was surprised that he wasn’t up and about by now after the doorbell went. Things had turned awkward when Max told Jos that he was bisexual and things got worse when he told him he was in a relationship with Lando. To begin with, Jos stopped going to races, stopped messaging and calling Max and in general, cut all ties with Max. When his son told him that Lando was pregnant, he had said some horrible things to Max and to Lando. That was when Max gave up on trying to fix the relationship with his father and he started spending more time in England with his boyfriend. He tried to split his time between England and Monaco because his siblings lived there and Monaco would always be his home. It just became natural for him to avoid Jos. He was sure that it was actually his sister who had told his father that he now had a granddaughter but Jos hadn’t picked up the phone when Max had tried to call him. Jos had never met Ellie. Max had tried to give him the chance before his daughter had been born but he didn’t want to be involved. Lando didn’t want Jos anywhere near his family which was another reason why Max gave up on wanting his dad in his child’s life. It was of course a shame for Sandy and for his younger siblings. Sandy had only seen Ellie a few times but she had to go to Max’s apartment to see her. It had caused many an argument between Sandy and Jos and Max pleaded with her to let it go as he didn’t want his child to be caught in anything. She still wasn’t happy and always made the point that she wasn’t happy about her husband’s attitude. Sandy was obviously happy when it was announced that Victoria was pregnant but she didn’t think it was fair on Ellie if Jos doted on his other grandchild and not her. Victoria had also had arguments with her dad. Max had to talk to her because she had been willing to walk away from him but Max knew that the pair were close and he told her to stay with him. He also knew that his sister was technically the link to his father if he did want to be involved in Ellie’s life. 

As Victoria stood beside her dad who was looking at her for an answer, she wondered whether it would be the best opportunity for her father to be introduced to his grandchild. She wanted it to happen, more so for Ellie’s sake. Before she could say anything, there was a squeal from the living room. Jos looked back at her with wide eyes. Victoria could see the cogs turning in her dad’s head. Obviously she still had her bump and Jason was back at home, none of Victoria or Tom’s friends had kids, so who squealed? Victoria was about to open her mouth when her dad left the hallway, searching for the noise. As she caught up with him, he was standing outside the living room gazing down at the baby girl on the play mat. She was shaking the rattle in her hand as she threw it on the floor then picked up her cuddly teddy bear as she brought it close to her face. Victoria’s heart melted at the sight and she could see that her dad was gazing at the baby in awe. 

“Who does the baby belong to?” He asked, quietly.

“Max and Lando.” She responded.

Jos’ mouth fell open.

“That’s Ellie, your granddaughter.” Murmured Victoria. 

Jos quietly stepped into the room and walked closer to Ellie. Victoria stayed by the door as she nervously bit her lip as she watched her father. Jos was now standing next to Ellie, the baby had yet to notice his presence as she was busy patting her hand on the ground. It wasn’t until Jos sat down on the ground next to the baby, facing across from her that she looked up. The baby looked up at Jos for a moment before she went back to playing with her rattle. When she threw it onto the ground, it fell slightly out of reach. She wriggled around, whining as she tried to get closer to it. Jos picked it up and held it close to her so that she would take it. Ellie looked at him before taking the rattle back and shoved it into her mouth. Jos gave her a small smile and stroked over her cheek. Ellie let out a little gurgle and. 

Tom came out of the bedroom, having had trouble finding his running shoes, he had taken longer to get ready. He had just left the bedroom and found Victoria standing in the doorway to the living room. He gently walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her bump as his girlfriend leaned into him.

“I’m going on a run, I’ll be back later.” He whispered.

He kissed her cheek after she nodded and stood for another moment as they watched the scene in front of them. Eventually, Tom moved and left the apartment.

Max wasn’t sure if it was the sound of the door closing or another sound coming from inside the apartment that woke him up. He only just remembered that he was in his sister’s apartment, rather than his own. He slowly got up out of bed and put on a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. A smile fell on his face as he headed to the bathroom and heard more gurgles coming from another room in the apartment. Once he was finished, he decided to head for his daughter. He found his sister standing outside the living room and he frowned. He was about to open his mouth when she turned and noticed him standing not that far away from her. It was the way she looked at him that made him feel uneasy and he didn’t like it. Before he could say anything, she was coming towards him and she dragged him down the hallway so their father wouldn’t hear. The older man had been totally oblivious to his surroundings anyway. 

“What’s going on? Where’s Ellie?” Asked Max, concerned.

Victoria rested a hand on her stomach.

“Please don’t freak.” 

Max frowned.

“Dad is in the living room with Ellie.” Said Victoria, quietly.

Max looked back at her with wide eyes and began to get flustered.

“I’m sorry but she was playing on her play mat and she made a noise so dad came in because obviously my baby isn’t due yet and no one we know has one.” His sister rambled.

Max ran a hand through his hair before he sighed.

“Is she alright with him?” He asked.

“Yes.” Replied Victoria, confidently.

She was sure that if she had hesitated, it would’ve made her brother panic but she was telling the truth, Ellie was fine with Jos. 

Max made his way back down the hallway and stood outside the living room like his sister had just done as he watched the scene. His father was talking quietly to his baby and she was playing happily. They were both completely oblivious to Max and Victoria standing at the door. It wasn’t until Victoria nervously cleared her throat that Jos looked up. He froze when he made eye contact with Max.

“Hello, son.” He said.

“Dad.”

Ellie turned as Jos had stopped playing with her. She spotted Max standing in the doorway and she let out a happy noise as she began to wriggle on her play mat. Max smiled and walked towards her, picking her up as she cuddled into his chest.

“Have you missed daddy, baby girl? I’ve missed you so much.” 

Max kissed the top of his daughter’s head as she let out a gurgle. He looked down at his dad who was awkwardly sitting on the floor, fidgeting nervously. 

“I’m going to make some tea.” Victoria announced.

Jos looked down at the floor as Max focused on his daughter. 

“It’s a shame about your race today, the team worked hard to get the car going.” Said Jos, quietly.

Max tried not to show his surprise at the fact that his dad was clearly still watching him race. He didn’t say anything. Jos eventually got up and sat down on the sofa as Max remained by the door. Victoria brought two mugs of tea through and placed one of the table mats for Max and handed the other to her father and deliberately left the room. Max huffed a breath at his sister but didn’t say anything.

“We need to talk.” His dad said, quietly.

“Do we?” Asked Max.

They did need to talk but Max wanted an apology from his dad and more importantly, Lando needed an apology. That was when he remembered that his boyfriend was due home. He closed his eyes. Jos frowned at him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked his son.

“Lando will be coming here.” Mumbled Max.

Jos couldn’t answer him and Max began to pace around the room.

“Do you need to pick him up?” He asked.

Max sighed.

“Probably.” He replied.

“Well, you can go and pick him up from the airport whilst Victoria and I look after Ellie.” His dad suggested.

“You look after Ellie.” Max scoffed.

“If you need to go and pick up Lando.” 

“Dad, there is no way Lando is going to be happy about me leaving our daughter with you.” Said Max, firmly.

Jos looked down at the floor.

“Do you know how old she is?” Asked Max.

Jos shook his head, embarrassed.

“Six months. She’s six months old and you didn’t know.” Said Max, sadly.

“I’ve missed out on so much.” Murmured Jos.

“Don’t you dare blame this on us.” Said Max, angrily.

Jos immediately looked up at his son. Ellie whined at the increase in volume and Max ran a hand down her back as he murmured in her ear. 

“I wasn’t saying that, this is my fault. I want to apologise.” He said, seriously.

“Why now?” Questioned Max.

“I’ve missed out on so much, she’s growing up quick. It’s not fair and I realise that. I need to make amends because I don’t want to miss out on any more.” Said Jos, honestly. 

Max’s phone buzzed in his pocket. Lando had just got off the plane in Nice. The Dutchman hadn’t checked his phone when he first got up and so he hadn’t seen Lando’s message earlier which told him that his boyfriend had boarded the plane in Italy. He wanted to curse but he had been told of for doing it in front of Ellie. 

“Vic!” He shouted.

Jos frowned. Victoria came through to the living room. 

“I need to go and pick up Lando from the airport, can Ellie stay here?” Asked Max.

“Yes of course.” His sister said.

Max kissed Ellie’s head and gently placed her on the play mat. The baby looked up at him.

“Daddy is going to pick up papa, baby. I’ll see you in a bit.” Max murmured. 

The baby began to whine as her dad moved away. Max felt his heart break but he knew he had to go. He stopped by the doorway and looked at his dad.

“I’ll be back and then we will talk properly.” He said, seriously.

Jos nodded and then Max rushed out of the door. 

The Dutchman felt sick at the thought of explaining the situation to his boyfriend. He hadn’t expected this to happen. When Lando came through the terminal, he smiled at the sight of his boyfriend but then frowned at the look on Max’s face.

“What’s wrong? Is Ellie alright? Where is she?” Lando rambled.

“We need to talk.”

Max explained in the car that his dad was at Victoria’s apartment and he wanted to make amends. He was too busy watching the road that he didn’t notice the look on Lando’s face but he could tell that he wasn’t impressed. His dad had been horrible to Lando and the young Brit hated the older man for how he treated Max and for the things he said about Ellie before she was even born. Lando didn’t want Jos anywhere near his baby when she had been born and he almost panicked when Max had told him that he had told his dad about her. He personally thought it was for the best when Jos didn’t visit or keep in touch with Max. He didn’t like the thought of his baby being with Jos. Max stepped his foot on the gas as he could tell that Lando was getting anxious.

It wasn’t long before they were parked outside Victoria and Tom’s apartment. Lando raced in before Max had even turned off the engine. Tom was back and he was sitting in the living room next to Victoria. Jos was sitting on the same sofa where Max had left him earlier but Ellie was on his knee as she held onto her teddy bear. The young Brit gasped when he saw his daughter sitting on Jos’ lap. He was standing at the door, keeping his eyes on his daughter.

“What the hell?” 

Jos looked up and gulped when he saw Lando. The young Brit couldn’t take it anymore and he moved forward across the room and took Ellie out of Jos’ arms to cuddle her into his chest. 

“What are you doing here?” Lando asked, angrily.

Jos fidgeted with his fingers.

“Well I came to see Victoria and I found Ellie here and I literally fell in love with her. We’ve been playing, she’s been alright.” He said calmly.

“She’s six months old, she doesn’t know any better, she doesn’t even know who you are!” Replied Lando, harshly.

“We can get to know one another, I want to be in her life.” Said Jos, quietly.

“No chance! You think you’re just going to waltz in.” Lando challenged.

Ellie whined and Lando felt guilty for upsetting his daughter. He gently shushed her and he smiled at her as she gurgled. He turned when he felt a hand on his back and he saw Max standing beside him. His boyfriend was looking over at Victoria and Tom.

“Guys, can we have a moment?” He asked.

Tom quickly got up and helped Victoria slowly get to her feet as they left the room. 

Lando glared at Jos who swallowed heavily. 

“You’re not getting away with this easily.” Said Lando, quietly.

Jos sighed.

“I know I have hurt you, Lando. All of you and I sincerely apologise for that. I’ve been so stupid. I’ve let my feelings cloud my judgement. There is a part of me that is still unhappy about your relationship but I have learnt that I need to deal with it. I want to work with the two of you together so I can at least be a part of Ellie’s life. I know you don’t trust me, Lando, I get that but for Ellie’s sake, can we take small steps?” Jos apologised.

Max looked at Lando to try and read the expression on his face. The young Brit was aware that Ellie hadn’t been uncomfortable when Jos was around or when she was sitting on his lap. He was right, Ellie deserved to know her grandfather but that didn’t excuse the things he had said when Lando was pregnant.

“Small steps.” Lando said, quietly.

Jos sighed. Lando gave him a look.

“I can’t leave you on your own with her. I accept that Ellie needs you in her life but what you said to me when I was pregnant, it hurt. You said things about your grandchild who wasn’t even born. I don’t trust you, Jos. I think you know that but I’m willing to try and work something between us for Ellie’s sake. You and Max need to talk as well, there are some things that need to be said.” Murmured Lando.

Max glanced over at his dad, nervously and the older man gave him a nod. 

Lando’s attention was now back on Ellie who gurgled in his arms. He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“We’re here, baby. Daddy and papa are back.” He whispered.

Max smiled at him as he leaned in closer to stroke over his daughter’s nose. The two drivers laughed at the baby who was looking at her nose, cross eyed. 

Jos felt warmth fill his stomach at the sight in front of him. He knew he had a lot of catching up to do as well as a lot of making up to do. He was well aware that Lando didn’t trust him and that was fair. Hopefully, this meant that Ellie could see Sandy more often as well as his other kids who had occasionally asked about Max. He gazed up at his son who was interacting with the baby. His young boy was now a man, a father and he hadn’t set a fine example. He was proud of Max and of all his kids, even if he didn’t tell them all the time. He was determined not to ruin this chance with his family. There was a part of him that knew Lando was going to call the shots but at least the young Brit knew he had to fix things with Max as well. Hopefully, things would fall into some form of routine and rhythm. For now, Jos was happy to have any time with Ellie, regardless of whether or not he would be supervised.


End file.
